Governor wants to raise teacher pay

State board of education meeting about idea in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A letter from Governor Rick Scott pitching a pay raise for teachers is being presented at the State Board of Education meeting being held at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

Gov. Rick Scott is trying to enlist support from the board for giving all Florida teachers a $2,500 pay raise.

The Republican governor defends his break from GOP orthodoxy. Republicans have in recent years promoted merit pay for teachers as opposed to an across-the-board raise.

Scott writes that all Florida teachers should get a pay raise for reasons that include earning the highest overall grade from the National Council on Teacher Quality.

He also notes the Legislature already has passed a law requiring performance pay based heavily on student test scores. That law, though, is being challenged in court by the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union.

Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.